News

Results of a new study affirm that the beta-blocker propranolol shrinks potentially disfiguring infantile hemangiomas in young children, MedPage Today reports.

A Spanish study has found that some compounds found in grapes help to protect skin cells from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, Medical News Today reports.

Researchers say they uncovered information about pathogenic biofilms that could lead to the development of new drugs to combat their potential threat to health, Medical News Today reports.

Recently published study results suggest that distinct antigen-specific T-cell responses may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and atopic eczema, HealthDay News reports.

The Department of Defense has awarded a $1.4 million grant to scientists from The Ohio State University College of Medicine for wound treatment research.

Allergan will pay as much as $275 million to acquire Vicept Therapeutics, the Orange County (Calif.) Business Journal reports.

The American Board of Dermatology (ABD) has given provisional approval for U.S. dermatologists to use the DrScore.com online patient satisfaction survey for collecting and reporting patient feedback, BusinessWire.com reports.

It's (still) the Economy : Patient payment plans, collections on rise Tapping the Potential : Dermal stem cell precursors show promise for therapeutic applications Special Report : Women & skin

Chronic urticaria can be difficult to treat, but new and evolving therapeutic options can effectively manage symptoms. Treating the cause of chronic urticaria is one of the primary goals of therapy, but very often the cause is not found. Chronic idiopathic urticaria is the diagnosis given to those patients where the etiology remains unknown.

Results of a study in adolescents showing a correlation between the severity of sun damage in ultraviolet (UV) photographs and phenotypic risk factors for malignant melanoma provides further support for using UV photography in sun-protection interventions, according to Ryan G. Gamble, M.D., who spoke at the 2011 annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.

Rapid market growth of light-based home-use devices for cosmetic purposes coupled with a lack of standardization within and regulation of the industry has prompted the European Society for Laser Dermatology (ESLD) to propose safety guidelines for home-use technology.

There's no better time than now to take a fresh look at opportunities to boost your bottom line. Whether it's saving money or earning more, these missed opportunities may be right under your nose. Regardless of the size of your dermatology practice or its position in the local healthcare market, you are likely finding the margin between revenues and expenses is getting narrower and narrower.

Melanoma is increasing faster than any other type of cancer in the United States, and a large portion of this increase is among young women, says Darrell S. Rigel, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York. Clues to this increase can be found within the statistics.

Use and abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids is on the rise, not just among athletes but also in the general population. Because dermatological manifestations are often the first indications of such behavior, dermatologists must know the common side effects associated with these drugs so they can treat the hallmark symptoms of abuse while educating patients.

As the sluggish economy continues to pinch both patients and practices, dermatologists are working harder to collect what's owed them - and to spend smarter on business expenses.

Adult women comprise a growing percentage of the patient population that dermatologists see with acne, and today, many treatment regimens are available and customizable to each patient's needs, according to Diane S. Berson, M.D., president, Women's Dermatologic Society, and assistant professor of dermatology, Cornell Medical College, New York.

Few can say that they have served their professions by presiding over not just one or two - but rather, many - regional, national and international societies. C. William Hanke, M.D., M.P.H., can. The Carmel, Ind., dermatologist has been president of 11 professional societies, the largest of which was the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) from 2008 to 2009.

Precursors of dermal stem cells may hold the promise of treating wounds or being able to stimulate hair growth, according to a senior scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

The only way to avoid laser complications is to avoid performing laser surgery entirely, says Eric Bernstein, M.D., clinical professor, department of dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. In light of the fact that this option is probably impossible, he says that to reduce the chances of complications, "Never take treatment advice from sales representatives. You would never do that in any other kind of medicine."

A variety of new cosmeceuticals tout better ingredients for improving women's skin, but an underused tool in the dermatologist's office is the education component of the skincare regimen. It's time to shift the focus on that first, according to one expert.

There are very few therapies approved to treat hair loss in women, compelling clinicians to turn to off-label therapies to address this condition, according to the president of the North American Hair Research Society. "Limited drugs are available," says Wilma F. Bergfeld, M.D., senior dermatologist, department of dermatology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland.

Producing home devices introduces a challenging balance between efficacy and safety. Safety issues include those for the treatment area, as well as for the eyes. Some device fluences even have been changed post-introduction due to concerns over the retinal hazards. Despite these challenges, several at-home laser and light devices have been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the past six years.

Dr. Surgery He recently performed a large excision and failed to ask his patient about medicine intake. The patient did not take any prescription blood thinners, but he did take high daily dosages of garlic and ginkgo. Unfortunately the patient had progressive postoperative bleeding, which led to volume loss and an ultimate CVA. A lawsuit was brought against Dr. Surgery. Will he lose this case based on negligence?

In refractory cases of localized, provoked vulvodynia, botulinum toxin type A can be considered a therapeutic option, according to Jennifer MacGregor, M.D., of Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery, Washington.

Sun protection for the lips can prevent skin cancer and aesthetic loss of the defined vermilion border. Leukoplakia can also be prevented through sunscreen use, and some precancerous lip changes can even regress with photoprotection.

A group of Republican lawmakers in Washington is now trying to repeal the 10 percent tax on tanning bed services that was included in the new healthcare reform law, and the medical community - led by the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) - is fighting back.

Keeping up to date with evolving standards of care, conducting thorough patient counseling that explains all reasonable evaluation and treatment options, and ensuring careful follow-up are important risk-management strategies for helping dermatologists avoid the mayhem accompanying a malpractice suit for a missed or delayed diagnosis of malignant melanoma.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released its long-awaited updated guidelines for sunscreens earlier this summer, and as hoped, more definitive standards were set delineating which sunscreens can designate themselves as having "broad-spectrum" protection from both UVA and UVB rays. On Call asked dermatologists around the country what they think of the new guidelines and whether they go far enough.

Any type of skin rash, especially new-onset rashes, could be the result of an adverse drug reaction. Many patients suffer with chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema, and diagnosis is usually straightforward, says David R. Adams, M.D., Pharm.D., associate professor of dermatology, Penn State University Medical Center. "But when someone develops a new breakout - of nearly any morphology - on the skin, always consider drugs as a possible cause," he says.

This is a true story, but the names and a few minor details have been changed in deference to HIPAA. I first met Bobby in 2002, when he was 8. His quality of life had been marred by severe eczema since infancy, but things got worse when he was diagnosed with asthma at age 6 and insulin-dependent diabetes a year later.